(Newsweek)- Two people were taken to a hospital on Wednesday after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot them during a confrontation, a local official in Maryland said.
Newsweek reached out to the Anne Arundel County Police Department by phone on Wednesday afternoon for comment.
Tensions remain high across the nation as ICE continues to carry out its immigration and deportation operations. ICE agents have met resistance in various cities, such when protesters blocked agents in New York City from leaving parking garages.
The agency has come under increasing scrutiny amid reports that deaths in ICE custody have increased, with the agency pushing back on those reports as attempts to “smear” the agency.
What To Know
Authorities have cordoned off the area as forensic services carry out an investigation into the incident that occurred Wednesday morning. WBAL reporter Breana Ross also wrote on X that ICE approached a van that then reportedly tried to run agents over when agents opened fire.
Federal immigration agents shot at a moving vehicle on Wednesday morning in Glen Burnie, Maryland, during an enforcement and removal action, striking one person and injuring another, local officials said. Preliminarily, police said the agents approached a white van, but the vehicle attempted to run them over. The agents fired at the van, which accelerated until coming to a stop in a wooded area, police said. (DHS on X)
However, radio chatter indicated that one victim was a 30-year-old male, and that the agent reported feeling “neck pain.” Ross reported them as the dive and “someone outside the van.”
However, it has been revealed that Serrano-Esquivel was the person receiving treatment for “whiplash,” not the agent.
County Councilwoman Allison Pickard, a Democrat in Glen Burnie, Maryland, told the Bannerthat the neighborhood where there shooting occurred is “very diverse” and is home to a “high immigrant, Hispanic population.”
What People Are Saying
DHS Assistant Press Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in an emailed statement to Newsweek, in part: “This incident, which is still under investigation, comes as the extremist anti-ICE rhetoric and outright lies of politicians, the news media, activists, and violent agitators continue to fuel a more than 1,150% increase in assaults against ICE officers. Our brave officers are risking their lives every day to keep American communities safe by arresting and removing illegal aliens from our streets. Continued efforts to encourage illegal aliens and violent agitators to actively resist ICE will only lead to more violent incidents, the extremist rhetoric must stop.””
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, on X: “I am aware of the ICE-involved shooting that occurred earlier today in Glen Burnie. As information surrounding the incident continues to emerge, we will remain in touch with local officials and are standing by to provide support for the community.”
The Department of Homeland Security, this week on X: “All year long, our DHS law enforcement officers worked around-the-clock, including weekends and holidays, to arrest the WORST OF THE WORST. We are thankful for the sacrifice they have made to deliver safer communities this holiday season.”
What Happens Next
More information will be provided as it becomes available, with Maryland officials aware and sharing information with the public.
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